Motorcycle specifications MV-Agusta750 S BRUTALE 2005 The heyday of the roadster

is sublime enough a word to describe the Brutale? For those who might doubt it, consider that the father of the MV-Agusta Roadster is none other than Massimo Tamburini, whose hand drew the Ducati 916 and the MV F4. The machine is based on the F4, but with a different airbox. For the design, the fairing has been removed, revealing the trellis frame and the 750 block, which benefits from a few improvements, but the airbox design keeps it at 126 hp. The exhausts are different, as are the seat and fuel tank. And when it looks at you... you're impressed by that big 50 mm diameter fork, just hidden by a surprising optical block. And what can we say about the sublime monobars? What art!

the day gets off to a bad start when Seb tells me he's coming to pick up the BUELL XB12S, which I've had for 2 days, for the photos in the next mag. Sniff, the weather's great too...
But he promises me a surprise for the evening. I'm having a quiet aperitif with friends when I hear a 4-cylinder screaming in the parking lot. I get out and see her... yes, it's her. At first glance I recognize it: the machine of my dreams, the MV Agusta Brutale; a 750 that spits out over 130hp/din. There she is! And it's sleeping 2 times at home; all I have to do now is cut short the aperitif (argue with the guests or fake a heart attack?). No, let's be reasonable: first thing tomorrow, it's off!

sunday 8am:
god, I didn't sleep well! i came back down 3 times to see it, and what a beautiful bike it is: 6-piston calipers on 310 mm discs, 50 mm inverted forks, aggressive tank and seat cut-outs, double pot outlets, and a very special design.mW Agusta's double exhaust pipes on the right reveal a superb star-shaped rim held in place by a monoblock with a central nut.
This bike is a work of art! And who's going to ride it today? Me!

contact!
the rev counter reaches its maximum (17,000rpm ... ah, those Italian dreamers!) the digital speedometer announces a speed of 299km/h; and the engine isn't running yet!
Starter ... and off we go! The boiler isincredibly lively, and the rev counter jumps to life at the slightest twist of the handle. 1st gear engaged. The bike seems small for my 80 cm frame. The seat and suspension come straight from the F4, it's sporty! I let the engine temperature rise slowly, the digital thermometer is useless: when the knees are up to temperature, the engine has reached 100 degrees. I weld... And then, at first, there's a solid gap between 4,000 and 10,000 rpm, but after that...

It's a good thing a little shift reminds you that the ignition switch cuts out at 13,000 rpm, because with the engine screaming, your arms stretching out and a smile on your face, it's easy to forget to change gear! The 6-speed gearbox is dry but pleasantly well spaced, and the chassis is very rigid, so the beast needs to be balanced energetically, as driving is sporty and not typically roadster-like... The engine's temperament, which, let's face it, is "brutal", leads to a correspondingly high fuel consumption: expect between 9 and 12l per 100km (!!!) and a new Pirelli 190/50-17 every 4,000km ...
The Italian mechanics are equal to themselves: when you pass a few km at high speed, be careful when you start up again, as the engine tends to clog up; and when you have 200 people on a sunny terrace watching you and you stall, it doesn't do it!

so what do you think?
there are so many sensations and images in your head after this test ride, and one sentence sums up an MV Agusta Brutale: "The heart has its reasons that reason does not know".
At €16,000 a piece (in Belgium; a little less in the rest of Europe), this bike is certainly not a masterpiece, less comfortable than most other roadsters, practicality and unreasonable cost of wearing parts, staggering fuel consumption, ... Stop! Don't throw it away!
In spite of all this, it remains one of the most fabulous motorcycles I've ever tested: a piece of goldsmithery, a timeless look and a demonstrative engine to match.
Italian engineering for 10 times less than a Ferrari, that's a bargain, isn't it?

To Seb ...

M.B and Olivier Quinten
(manufacturer's photos)